As promised, this week we will once again take up the task of thinking outside the box and finding different positions around the world looking to be filled by hungry new graduates like you.
<strong>Teaching abroad</strong>
We’ve all heard about this job, so I wouldn’t exactly call it surprising. With a degree in hand and a desire to see the world, sometimes that’s all it takes to get a teaching job abroad.
The requirements vary from country to country, but most require some form of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate before applying.
The University of Toronto offers an amazing course, but for something <em>much</em> cheaper I’d suggest the certificate course often offered on Groupon for under $100. It’s not too difficult to complete or overly time-consuming, and can be completed online in your own time.
You’ve got your degree and now you’ve got your TEFL certificate, where can this take you? It really comes down to your preference.
You most likely will not score a job in Western Europe, but most of the world is now your oyster. Teaching can fling you all the way to the middle of China, to the safaris of Kenya, Brazil, Georgia, or even Kazakhstan.
<em>Teach Away</em> is a great resource for both finding a job and learning about the individual countries and requirements for each.
As someone who has been gnawing on this idea for years, I’ve done a fair amount of research into this particular job.
What you can expect depends on the country, but in some of the countries you will have the option of working either in the public or private system.
The public system will give you a crazy amount of time off (sometimes up to six weeks), which leaves lots of room to travel, but the private tutoring/small class size teaching model is where the money and flexibility is.
It really depends on the experience you want to create for yourself. For business-minded people the private sector also offers the opportunity to work with businessmen and women learning English for job-related reasons.
Also, be aware that you will have to sign a contract (which will sometimes include your rent or flight) that will usually be one year long.
Despite being an amazing opportunity to see the world while getting paid, it is still a job you must take seriously and commit to. That being said, signing on for a year guarantees you at least one year of seeing the world before having to settle down.
<strong>Becoming a diplomat</strong>
Other than the obvious bonus of diplomatic immunity, there are other reasons to become a diplomat: upscale dinner parties, travelling to exotic locations, and a good salary.Being a diplomat requires a bit more work but the payoffs and excitement can be a great return.
Diplomats are divided into three categories: political officer (who deals with Canadian interest in the country), trade officer (who deals with business ties between Canada and the other country), and consular officer (who provides assistance to Canadians in need).
To become a diplomat you will need to have a bachelor’s degree, potentially take a few courses about becoming a diplomat, pass oral and written tests, and go through rigorous security screening. Knowing another language is certainly a plus.
Being a diplomat is especially interesting for people who want access to usually off-limits areas in the world, but with that comes a certain amount of danger. Then again, danger is pretty sexy.
Really though, no matter what job interests you or what corner of the world it takes you to, just be sure that before life saddles you with overwhelming responsibilities you take some time to enjoy this transition period.
It is okay to happily exist in the liminal space between school and adulthood for a while. So go ahead, pack your bags on a trip or for a job, and spend this summer, or the rest of this year, abroad.
